Absolutely Not
by KNJP
Summary: "Well, I'm Embry, official best friend of Jacob Black, expert cliff diver, master sandwich maker, and car technician extraordinaire, and I'll be your host for this evening." "Cass, but I'm assuming you heard that earlier." Cass didn't want to move from Chicago to nowhere Washington and certainly didn't want to be magically tied to an irritating werewolf, even if he was gorgeous.
1. Preface

_December 20_ _th_ _, 1606_

 _London, England_

The skies were dark and ominous, gray clouds hanging low in the sky like a gloomy canopy. Strong winds were brisk, catching the large sails of the ships in the marina sharply and snapping them to attention. Three ships in particular were bustling with activity, the energy full of promise and fear. The Susan Constant, Godspeed and Discovery were being inundated with supplies and passengers in preparation for the long journey on the horizon. Today they were setting sail for the New World. The Susan Constant and Godspeed were what you would expect from transcontinental vessels, but the Discovery was different. Smaller and of unknown origin, the Discovery only held 21 occupants. Or so the record shows. Unbeknownst to the King's men who inspected the ship, there were three stowaways in a hidden chamber beneath the floor of the lower deck. These strange travelers were pale, almost translucent in skin color, and cold to the touch. But what would have startled the other settlers more would have been their red eyes. Eyes filled with no compassion stood out as red rubies against white faces. Hiding in the bowels of a ship they bought and donated generously and anonymously to the Crown, the three uncounted passengers finally were headed west to elude the suspicious glares of the English and their propensity to burn odd neighbors at the stake.

After several arduous months, on May 13th, 1607, the Discovery, Godspeed and Susan Constant shuttled its passengers onto the new, strange land. The Susan Constant and Godspeed promptly turned around and returned to London, but the Discovery stayed. Seemingly haunted, it traversed back and forth along the Chesapeake Bay. The residents of the second settlement of Jamestown, never saw the three mysterious benefactors and pretended the ship didn't pace back and forth, like a panther ready to pounce. But the locals were not so lucky.


	2. Chapter 1 - Strange New World

**Twilight characters and content specific to the book belong to Stephanie Meyers.**

 _May 31_ _st_ _, 2014_

 _Port Angeles, Washington, USA_

"Cassandra, darling, wake up. I just returned from my meeting and I have news for you," a petite blond woman called into the room to the lump who was now groaning under the sheet. A messy head of matching honey blonde hair peeked out as the blanket was lowered enough for hazel eyes to squint out at the sharply dressed woman in pearls. After giving the disturber a sufficient glare to express as much extreme displeasure as one can shortly after waking up, the form retreated back under the dark grey duvet.

Tutting her impatience, the woman walked over to the heavy curtains and threw them open with the intent to flood the room with sunlight, frowning as she saw the heavy rain that seemed never ending in this new city.

She tried a different approach, "Cassandra. Get up! "

An unintelligible mumble sounded through the room as Cass sat up to appease her mother.

"Mom, please explain why you decided to wake me up at this ungodly hour."

"It is 9am, lazy. I have already had a session with my personal trainer and went my charity board meeting. Which is what I want to talk to you about. Vicki, the Vice President of the board, has a son your age, Blake, and he invited you to go to the under 21 club with him and his friends tonight. Doesn't that sound lovely?"

Cass's fair skin drained of its color, "What did you do, mom?"

"I simply told Vicki that I was worried about you since you haven't left this house since we moved here two weeks ago. I mentioned you didn't know anyone around here to attend events with and she told her son," Eleanor Douglas explained shrugging her delicate, Marc Jacobs covered shoulders.

Cassandra Douglas, Cass, stared aghast at her mother, taking in the carefully crafted façade of the cold, elegant heiress her mother was molded to become. Cass had always been in awe of her mother's ability to meddle in others affairs and get away with it, but it always annoyed Cass when it was directed at her.

"Mother, I don't need you to get pity friends on my behalf. I'm not going."

"Yes you are. Get up, get ready, and put a smile on that face. I'm not kidding Cassandra. The reason we bought you that ridiculous car was for you to actually use it before you go to college."

Cass hadn't been thrilled when her parents told her they were moving from her childhood home in Chicago across the majority of the continental United State to Port Angeles, Washington. Population size: minuscule. The only way they had convinced her to move with them for the summer before she attended Northwestern University in the fall, was by buying her a cherry red '62 Triumph Spitfire.

The more she was badgered by her parents to go to the University of Washington, the more she was regretting the trade. This outing with Blake was another indicator of her mother's quest to convince her to stay by finding her friends.

Knowing her mother wouldn't be swayed, Cass sighed glumly and watched defeated as her mother nodded in triumph and sashayed out the door. Standing slowly, she gazed morosely at the boxes cluttering her new room. Up to this point she had neglected to unpack any of her possessions because she would just have to reassemble them when she moved back to Illinois in the fall. Her packed away clothes were starting to bother her so she made a split second decision to hang them in the closet, praying her parents didn't notice. She knew they would take it as a sign that was adjusting to this hell hole.

After several productive hours of therapeutic organization and blasting angry Fall Out Boy, Cass dragged herself to her en suite bathroom to shower and get ready for this night from Dante's third circle.

Cass expertly curled her hair into flawless waves that would make a Victoria's Secret Angel sell her soul to the devil to achieve, but she needed some motivating music before she could even _think_ about doing her makeup. The bass from her eardrum-shattering music slightly shook the walls, and as she sang off-key into her curling iron she could hear her brother, Theo, pound on the wall from next door. Not that it made a difference. Interrupting Blink-182's First Date AKA One of the Most Perfect Songs Ever Written would be sacrilege, not to mention hazardous to Cass's mental health. The music was adequately drowning out her worries.

With one last glance in the mirror Cass headed for the stairs to find her pity friends to awkwardly ensure her they wanted her to come, and then spend all night ignoring her. Her grumpy internal rant about the situation was rudely interrupted by a head bursting out of the door on her left. A head full of brown hair peaked out and she saw the impish grin of her brother Theodore.

Letting out a yelp of indignation, Theo snatched her wrist and pulled her into his room, slamming the door shut.

"Guess what I found two weeks ago in the mail?" he asked, speaking faster than she had ever heard from him before. Seriously, he wasn't even this excited when the new Star Wars trilogy was announced.

"I don't know, you got jury duty?"

"That's absurd, try again."

"Just tell me. I have some place to be tonight. I don't have time to play $100,000 Pyramid with you."

"Is that why you look like a hooker?" Theo questioned opening his eyes wide trying to achieve a look of innocence.

Giving Theo a withering look, Cass turned to walk back into the hallway. Clearly too excited to share his news with her, Theo muttered a quick apology that was lost in the hurricane of flailing limbs as he ran to his bed, picked up a paper and thrust it millimeters from her nose. Craining her neck back, the paper slowly edged into focus and she felt a pit in her stomach when she saw who it was from.

"A letter from Grandpa Rhett?" she whispered yelled at him, "You know what I don't have time for this. You just better not let dad see that, you know he absolutely hates his father!"

At this Theo's excitement hardened faster than lava and he looked murderous.

"Just because dad is a freak doesn't mean I shouldn't get to know my own grandpa!"

Cass took a deep breath, pushing aside her own hateful feeling for _that man_ , and began to calmly and logically explain to her normally smarter than her brother, "I just think you are writing Grandpa to piss Dad off because he moved us to Washington. But that isn't grounds to... to throw this temper tantrum and contact that loon!"

 _Well that went well. Just give me the caring sister of the year award for that one._ She thought to herself after she realized where her statement had ended up.

"That's easy for you to say. In 3 months you'll head back home and forget about this nightmare that I'll be trapped in for another 4 years. Some of us don't get classic cars handed to us on a silver platter every time we go crying to daddy."

The words hit Cass like a freight train and she involuntarily took a step back. She and Theo were supposed to be closer because of the move. They were supposed to band together and commiserate, pining for home and openly opposing anything and everything that infiltrated their freshly trampled lives. Instead, Theo resented her for a rite of passage she would willingly pursue come August.

"Excuse me? We were _all_ ripped from normalcy and dropped in the middle of the armpit of Washington. We _all_ made sacrifices to be here. I want to be in Chicago as much as you do."

"Yeah, but you'll be back there in 97 days and step back into your ace life, not to mention the arms of What's-His-Face."

"Jared. And we're broken up."

"Still don't care."

Cass couldn't help but feel slightly guilty. Theo was right. Theo was _always_ right. That was one of the things she loved about him. He was so incredibly bright; his intelligence surpassed those of most adults Cass knew, but he never boasted about it. Cass often wondered if he even recognized his sheer brilliance-ironic considering the unmatched observational skills he possessed. He could read someone accurately and wholly the instant he met them, and he was that person that spoke the things everyone else thought but were too afraid to say. Everyone thought of him as the quick-witted prodigy, so he not only got away with his brash comments, but he was expected to make them. This was one of the only moments Cass wished Theo would pull his punches.

Theo finally broke the silence with a relenting sigh. "Look, I'm sorry. I just feel uneasy about this move anyway, but Grandpa's letters make me think maybe there's something to it. Yeah, it sucks that I had to leave my friends and my school and my team and the city I love more than most people, but this is different than being a little butthurt over Dad's decision to uproot us. There's something off about this place, and not just because there's a freakishly low population in this 'city'."

Cass crossed the room to close the distance between them and sat beside Theo on his bed. "I know it's unsettling to make such a drastic change, and this is the last place I want to be, you know that," Cass tells him as she gives his hand a squeeze. Comforting and affection were definitely not her strong suits. "But we have to try to make the best of it. You need to quit grasping at straws and just roll with the punches." Theo pulls a face as she wraps up her poor attempt at empathizing.

"Can we talk about this tomorrow? I'm ridiculously late to meet up with Blake and his friends."

Theo gave her a small smile and dissolves his frustration for the moment. "Yeah, go have fun."

Cass was flooded with gratitude that she has such an easy-going brother to balance out her anal tendencies and harsh opinions.

"Thanks, Dor!" she calls as she begins rushing out of his bedroom and down the hall.

"Not my name!" he returns. "Make friends, not babies! Hugs not drugs!" Cass barely hears his half-serious warnings and rolls her eyes as she grabs her shoes and runs out the door.

The car's windows were rattling from the loud bass as Cass pulled up to the valet of the club and she cringed at the name. _Solstice? Really?_ She curled her lip in disgust at the pulsing lights that could be seen every time the door opened. She used to love parties and crowds and dancing, really she did. Back in Chicago every weekend was filled to the brim with them. But, after the move, parties felt like inhumane punishments, crowds made her homicidal and dancing held as much pleasure as falling into a shark tank that was on fire, in a dress made of raw fish.

Knowing she would never hear the end of it if her mother heard she hadn't at least made an appearance, Cass handed the keys off to the hunk in the penguin suit who she payed to park her car. Normally Cass wouldn't have trusted someone else to drive her baby, but she had no connections to get into this club. She supposed she could try and name drop Blake to get in, but she wasn't willing to risk it, so she decided on the tried and true method of acting important.

It wasn't that hard really, all you had to do was have a nice enough car, enough money to tip the valet and a confident walk and hairflip towards the bouncer. Cass had never been turned away from a club using this method. Some she wasn't even supposed to be allowed into because she was underage.

Cass figured it didn't hurt that along with plenty of money and a nice car, she wasn't too hard on the eyes. When Cass got ready, she was gorgeous and she knew it. She was naturally pretty, but curling her hair a certain way and adding the right flourishes of make-up really set off the genes her mother graced her with to their best advantage.

Tonight was no different, strutting to the front door, not even sparing a glance at the line, Cass tossed her hair and grinned at the bouncer. The large man didn't miss a beat as he opened the door for her.

The club was just a raucous as Cass had anticipated it being. Writhing bodies were thrashing like eels as loud music pounded into her skull. She looked around for Blake's beach blond, perfect hair. She knew what he looked like because she was somewhat of a Facebook P.I. There was no one she couldn't find.

Suddenly a hand was placed on her lower back and Cass whipped around ready to utilize all she learned in her women's defense course her dad had made her take. Instead she was staring into the crystal blue eyes of Blake.

"Hey, you're Cassandra right?" he yelled over the cacophony from Hell.

"It's Cass" she corrected trying not to cringe at her full name, "You must be Blake."

After a few more shouted get-to-know yous, they gave up talking and Blake asked her to dance. Outside she was smiling, but inside she felt like a prisoner being led to the gallows. Blake was nice and could be a Calvin Klein model, but she really just wanted to be Netflix bingeing because she couldn't be with her own friends in Chicago.

After two songs, Cass made an excuse to go sit at the non-alcoholic bar. As she made her way through the crowd she cynically observed to herself the bar probably only carried Capri Suns or Welch's 100% grape juice if you were feeling extra frisky. Cass ran her hand through her hair as she sat on a stool.

"Shit, your hair is perfect!" someone yelled at Cass. Looking toward her right, where the voice had come from she was startled to see a very small teenage girl. "Hey, I'm Renesmee," introduced the sprite next to her. "Everybody calls me Nessie."

Cass looked at "Nessie" and found an enigma. The girl was no taller than 5'2", had glossy chestnut brown hair that was starkly contrasted by electric blue streaks, and was wearing a blush pink sundress with a leather jacket that looked like it belonged on one of the Hell's Angels. Her petite feet were swallowed whole by the leather studded booties that had the same chains on them that were on the shell of her ear.

"You're a long way from the Scottish Lochs, Nessie," Cass deadpanned.

Cass's joke was awarded with the edgy girl's tinkling laughter, "Well, with a name like Renesmee, you take any nickname you can get."

"I feel that," Cass was quickly growing to like this girl. "My parents like to call me by the "very respectable, high class" name Cassandra. But if you call me that, I can assure you endless amounts of pain," she introduced, air quoting the ridiculous points her parents had always made when she asked them to call her Cass.

Renesmee cringed sympathetically and Cass continued, "I'm Cass, and I don't feel right about calling you Nessie. All I can picture is a terrifying monster that has the propensity of eating humans. I think I will call you Ren for now."

Ren didn't respond and when Cass glanced away from the drink menu she had been picked up, she saw the girl's widened eyes quickly blink and her face light up with a grin, "Ren is perfect."

The wolfish grin on Ren's face made Cass uneasy. This girl, who was very forward in approaching her and complimenting her could potentially have more than friendship in mind. Cass would be fine being friends with anyone of any sexual orientation but certainly was not into girls herself. Awkwardly she tried to gauge Ren's intent as she dropped some hints, "Every time I go to a club these days, all I can think about is how my ex-boyfriend would refuse to dance with me."

"Yeah, boys are the worst, that's why I try not to deal with them."

Cass gulped, not sure she liked where this was headed, "Can't live with them, can't live without them."

"The second of the two isn't too hard for me," Ren said as she leaned in closer to Cass.

Cass stiffened and was silent for a moment as she decided what to do next,"Erm... well... the thing is..."

Her eyes were drawn to the girl and noticed she was trying hard not to laugh. Peals of laughter spurted out of her as she forced out the words, "You, "laughter, "Should have," giggles, "seen your face!"

Cass felt like she had just missed the punchline. Wiping tears of mirth from her eyes Ren clarified, "I'm not gay."

Cass felt her face flame red as she tried to grasp at what little dignity she had left, "Well it would have been okay if you were... I just... I mean I wanted to let you know that I wasn't... that I don't... how did you know what I was thinking?"

"People don't generally start talking about their ex's out of nowhere."

At that moment Cass' heart soared. She had made a new, albeit weird and kind of evil, friend. After sharing funny stories and talking for the better part of an hour Ren apologized, "I should go, I have to make curfew."

"Yeah absolutely, do you want me to help you find your friends that brought you here?"

Ren squirmed and then mumbled, "Someone dropped me off."

"They left you here? What are you supposed to do, run home?" Ren looked even more uncomfortable at this remark. "What part of Port Angeles do you live in exactly?"

"I live in Forks actually."

"No, I'm giving you a ride. Don't argue with me. You should never hang out with those friends again. Can you imagine what could have happened to you here alone?"

"They agreed to take me home, but if you're sure..."

"Yes, let's go."

Cass stormed her way to coat check and retrieved her things before hesitantly looking back at the grinding masses debating whether or not to tell Blake she was going. She decided against it when she remembered he hadn't even checked on her once after they danced and marched Ren to the valet stand and waited for them to get her car. Her beautiful red baby was returned into her safe care again and she turned to Ren, her good humor returned by the glinting paint.

"Meet 'chino," she told Ren proudly.

As Cass circled around to the driver's side Ren asked, "What kind of name is 'chino?"

"It's short for Maraschino, like the cherry."

Ren expressed her approval of such a perfect name and they took off onto the street.

"You're going to have to direct me where to go, I'm new here and haven't bothered to learn the roads because I'm leaving in the fall. Although, it would probably only take 15 seconds to memorize a map of this place as small as it is."

"Port Angeles isn't small! It has nearly 20,000 residents, I mean it's not the size of Chicago, but it's still a city."

Cass snorted but said nothing. She changed the subject and followed Ren's directions. While they chatted, Cass couldn't help but think about what Ren had implied. _Am I really so much of a snob, that if it doesn't have a large crime rate and a Starbucks on every block, it isn't a good enough city for me?_ Sure she had been a little bias against Port Angeles but that didn't mean she neglected to acknowledge it had charm right? The more she thought about her prejudices against the city, the less she was able to justify them. She had left the house only when forced, and was so determined to hate everything that she hadn't stopped to give the city a fair chance.

Cass was so distracted trying to maintain a conversation, ruminate on her own shortcomings, and drive, she had completely been trusting Ren's directions and was ignoring the road signs. One snapped her out of her stupor, "La Push five miles ahead?!" I thought you lived in Forks. As I recall we are too close to the coast to be in Forks."

Ren looked rightfully sheepish. "I actually was hoping you could drop me off at my boyfriend's house. He had work all day or he would have gone with me to Solstice."

Cass was momentarily distracted by the pathetic name of the club before she reset her focus, "Don't you have to make curfew? How will you get home?"

"Oh, he can drive me. My parents like him and trust him. It will be fine."

Cass thought this was one of the worst ideas she had heard since she moved to Washington, which was saying a lot because her parents kept pushing her to get out of the house or switch schools. But she also felt she had mothered the girl enough for one night, after all she was... 16? Maybe? Cass had forgotten to ask. Whatever the age she was old enough to make a decision and deal with the consequences.

"So what's his name?"

"Jacob Black."

Cass made a 'go on' gesture.

"He's tall and dark and handsome. He treats me like I am his whole world and he would do anything for me. He sees the real me and accepts me for who I am instead of trying to make me someone I'm not."

Cass smiled softly remembering her first "love" she was 15. His name was Thomas. She had convinced herself that they were soul mates and that nothing could come between them. Until her best friend Becky came onto him, or under him as the case may be. She gave him what Cass would not, and Cass gained a newfound distrust for men. To see Ren's hope was inspiring, if not a little pity evoking, but Cass figured Ren was too far in for it to hurt anymore when this Jacob ripped her heart and fed it to the wolves.

Cass felt a jolt of pain go up her spine and linger as they crossed over the town limits but quickly brushed it off on sitting too long... or cramps. Yes, she decided it must be cramps as her lower back throbbed.

As the traveled on what Ren told her was main street, though to be honest she wouldn't have been able to tell, she got the strange urge to lock her car doors. Especially as they passed a auto garage with the name _Sam's_ on it in neon lights. Inside the shop several big, hulking fellows who gazed hungrily at her classic car. As they made the last turn, all Cass could think about was being murdered and Maraschino being toted off by a psycho.

"There he is!" Ren exclaimed pointing to a looming dark figure sitting on the porch of a small house.

Cass could see the features of Jacob come into focus as they got closer. As she pulled off the road in front of the house, he opened the door enough to reach in his hand and flip on the front light. By the time Cass digested what she was seeing, Ren was already out of the car and throwing herself into his arms. _Oh my... he is at least 25. How is she dating someone that old? She said her parents are okay with this. The little brat lied to me, no self-respecting parent would let their daughter date someone that much older than them WHILE SHE WAS STILL A MINOR. No, I have to get her out of here. She's too young and stupid for this. This isn't legal. She grew up in a tiny town and doesn't know what kinds of dangers are in the real world._ Cass made the movements to get out of the car but pause as her hand rested on the door handle. _If I leave this car and try to take her away from him, he could kill me. Look at the size of his biceps, he could squeeze the life right out of my body. No! Stop thinking like that, you will be fine and you need to stay calm and get Ren out of this situation._

Cass opened the door and stepped her Louboutin onto the gravel, "Ren?"

Cass hesitantly stepped around the front bumper.

"Cass, come meet Jacob!" Ren twittered happily pulling Jacobs hand like a dog on a leash. He followed easily chuckling at her enthusiasm.

"Ren, I need to..." Cass tried again.

"Jake, this is Cass, Cass, this is my boyfriend Jake."

"Did I hear you call her Ren?" Jake asked holding out his hand to shake.

Cass ignored him completely her eyes on Ren, "Ren, please just hold.."

Again she was interrupted, "Jake, don't you just love Cass's car?"

"Renesmee!" Cass finally shouted. Shocked by the sudden outburst, Ren looked at Cass like a deer in the headlights. "Please get back in the car and let me take you home."

The last part she said low and as soothing as she could with the panic streaming through her and her back in knots.

"Cass, what is wrong what are you..."

"In the car, Ren. Please just let me take you home."

"I told you Jake will..."

"Ren!" Cass exclaimed her gaze shifting onto Jake for a split second. Understand flashed through Jake's face as he gently pulled his hand away from Ren's and whispered quietly to Ren.

"Go with her."

Cass could see Ren's indecision but after they locked eye for a moment, Ren rested her palm on his cheek and his eyes fluttered closed. After a moment his eyes reopened and he smiled and nodded at her. Satisfied she walked back to the car and got in.

Now Ren was out of immediate danger, Cass could think again and she noticed how hard she was finding it to walk through the gravel in her tall, very expensive heels. As she focused mostly on walking a small part of her brain was screaming in pain and another noticed the fluttering of a window curtain and another man staring outside.

Embry watched through the glass as the tall beautiful blonde and his friend Nessie drove away.


	3. Chapter 2 - The Cullens

**Credit to Stephanie Meyer where credit is due. Review and tell us what you liked and didn't, it would be a good workout for your fingers.**

Cass rolled over as she woke up to the blinding streaks of sunlight creeping through her blinds and took a moment for her scarred retinas to recover from the bright beams' assault. Fuck you, sun. Memories of the night before flood her mind. Making a friend her parents would definitely not approve of. Driving said friend to La Push where they likely would've been raped or murdered if she hadn't ushered Ren to the car so quickly. Cass mentally scoffed. Boyfriend, my ass. And your parents approve. We'll pretend that's real. She'd driven Ren home and left her safe and sound with her freakishly good looking siblings, and an impossibly good-looking and young set of parents.

"Thanks for the ride. Do you want to come inside and we'll grab something to eat?" Ren invited enthusiastically. "I feel bad for all the trouble you've gone through for me."

"It's really not a big deal," Cass reassured. "And it would've been worth any inconvenience."

"So is that a no to food, or…?"

"The most important thing you need to know about me is that food is always a yes," Cass smiled and Ren chuckled along with her.

"Perfect, because my parents are amazing cooks and love taking requests. Ask for anything you can imagine and they'll happily whip it up," Ren responded excitedly as she opened the door of 'Chino.

The first thing Cass noticed about the house was that it was more of an estate. Rolling hills surrounded the house littered with hundreds of dark green trees for as far as Cass could see. The house itself was imposing and made mostly of glass, glinting lights from inside peppering the clean surface. These people were clearly loaded. Cass thought her family was well-off, they were well off, her father making far more than the average American, but there was absolutely no competition between them and Ren's family.

They entered from the garage where several sleek sports cars were residing. Cass was so awestruck she momentarily worried about catching flies in her mouth and quickly closed her dropped jaw.

"Ridiculous, right? I think it's a little much, too," Ren confessed. "Although, it is kind of fun to live like this. But it gets old pretty fast. That's part of why I love Jake and his friends. For a couple hours I get to live a normal life. It's refreshing."

Cass couldn't really see anything refreshing about getting slaughtered in the hellhole that was La Push, but to each their own.

It wasn't just that it was expensive, the decor also oozed easy elegance, the residents clearly as refined as the decorations. As they emerged into a pinterest-worthy, not to mention incredibly gorgeous, sitting room, Ren called out, "I'm home." Cass looked around, but saw no one. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, a small figure with short, spiky hair and a toothy smile bounced into the room, hugging Cass in an instant.

"It's so nice to meet you! I'm Alice, Ren's sister!" She momentarily pulled back from the embrace as she finished introducing herself and waited for a response.

Cass was caught off guard by Alice's immediate affection, not being especially touchy feely herself. No one in her family was, really. It never phased her until she'd go to friends' houses growing up, seeing how caring their families were toward each other. Sometimes she wished her family were warmer and a tad more attentive, not that they didn't love each other, but she wished they could all express it more freely.

It became an obstacle in her other relationships, along with the lasting effects of Thomas's and Becky's Judas kiss of a tryst. She had loved Thomas recklessly, although looking back she wasn't sure it could have been anything more than infatuation. Puppy love. But that didn't make the betrayal hurt any less. Since then she'd been guarded and calculating. Getting attached to anyone was a mistake she wouldn't make again. The few moments of connection and warmth weren't worth the inevitable fallout when they would leave. And they would leave.

Cass realized she hasn't answered Alice and instead was just standing there like an idiot, completely lost in thought.

"Cass," she offered.

"I know!" Alice replied quickly, like she couldn't get the words out fast enough. Alice noticed the confusion and suspicion plainly written on Cass's face and immediately rectified the situation. "Nessie texted me saying you'd be driving her home," Alice explained and quickly smiled when Cass bought it.

"I'm so glad you came over! Nessie doesn't normally bring her friends home." Alice looked pointedly at her sister.

"What about Jake and his friends?" Cass asked.

"Um, they don't really count. They just...yeah," Ren replied. She quickly moved on from the topic. "Let's grab something to eat, yeah?" she said and grabbed Cass by the hand, leading her to the kitchen. She sure had been touched a lot since she met Ren.

Alice bounded into the kitchen on their heels and Cass saw Ren roll her eyes a bit. The kitchen was just as breath-taking as the rest of the house. Everything was a stark, glowing white and immaculate. Cass was bewildered by the spotlessness of the room.

"Do you guys even use this kitchen?"

Ren and Alice chuckled, making Cass feel like they were in on a joke she wasn't aware of.

"We're just very tidy." Ren smiled at her innocently.

At the sound of gentle thudding, Cass turned to see two men, one with unruly hair and the other so large he had to have been on steroids, set down several bags of groceries on the counter.

"Took you guys long enough," Alice pouted.

"Sorry, this one is nothing but trouble," the hulking man joked while smiling adoringly at the mop-headed man. "You know how it is." Cass's eyes widened as she watched him smack the other man's butt.

Cass didn't want to be rude, but she had to know, "Are they, um...gay?" she whispered to Ren.

"Why do you think everyone is gay?" Ren chuckled at full volume.

Cass's face flushed a deep pink and the others sniggered to themselves.

"Well-it's just-I mean, it's a lot more common out here than it was in Chicago, okay?!" she huffed in embarrassment.

The butt-smacker smirked. "I like this one. Let's keep her around. I'm Emmett. I'm not gay," he said, sticking out his hand toward Cass. She hesitantly shook it and gave a sheepish smile.

"This is Jasper! He's my boyfriend!" Alice said as she jumped on the other man and hugged him. "I mean, it's weird because we're siblings, but we're adopted siblings, so it's totally kosher!" she gushed before kissing Jasper on the cheek.

Alice may have said it was kosher, and seemed to believe it, but Cass wasn't quite so sure about that.

Jasper tentatively smiled at Cass. "Nice to meet you."

"Well," Emmett said, "I'm gonna go find Rose." He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively and Cass shuddered. "See you guys later!" As he exited the room, Cass couldn't help but think that Rose, whoever she was, had to have been made of steel. She couldn't imagine Emmett not breaking someone he was...intimate with.

Almost as soon as Emmett left, a tall, blond, and delicious man walked in with his equally beautiful wife, guiding her with a hand on the small of her back, and they observed the others fondly.

"Cass, these are our parents," Ren announced proudly.

"Cassandra, we're so glad to have you. I'm Esme, and this is my husband Carlisle. Thank you for bringing our Ness home. That was very generous of you," the mother said warmly.

"It's past curfew," a new voice scolded. Seriously? How many of these people were there?

"Edward, we have a guest," Carlisle said lowly to the man who had just entered. Cass noticed immediately how similar Edward and Ren looked. Strange for adopted siblings, but it was entirely possible that they were biological siblings who had both been adopted by Esme and Carlisle.

Edward was clearly frustrated by the entire situation, but politely turned toward Cass and apologized. "I didn't mean to criticize you. You've been very helpful. My disappointment is toward Renesmee and Jacob, but definitely not you." He practically spit Jake's name, glaring ever so slightly at Ren, then abandoning his anger when he turned back to Cass. She immediately wondered why he had such a problem with Jake when Ren's parents hadn't exhibited any disapproval while she'd been there, but ultimately decided he must be on his man period. He stiffened and his face tightened a bit before he nodded at Cass and said, "Nice to meet you," before promptly leaving the room.

"So… Your brother is a little…" Cass searched for a word that communicated what she meant without being outright impolite. "Intense," she settled on.

Ren nodded immediately. "For real. He can be kind of a hard ass. He's pretty old school."

Cass knew what Ren meant. "He definitely has that 'grumpy 80 year old' thing down."

"Try 112," Ren snorted and her family laughed along.

"Cass, what would you like to eat?" Esme called warmly to Cass as she put away the groceries with her husband. Cass decided Esme had really mastered the whole 'mothering' thing and briefly wished her mother were more like Esme before being hit by a wave of guilt. She pushed the thought aside.

"She'll have a burger!" Alice announced.

"Hey, Alice. Shut up," Ren warned her sister with a sharp look. Cass felt like she was missing something but figured it must be a sibling silent conversation. She and Theo had them all the time.

"Um, a burger is fine with me." Cass didn't want to cause trouble by taking sides, but a burger couldn't have sounded more perfect.

"A burger it is. Ness?" asked Esme.

"Same."

Carlisle nodded. "We'll get to work, then."

Cass was shaken out of her memory at the sound of her mom knocking on the door.

"Cass, are you awake? Remember our deal? That car is yours as long as you make an effort here. That means not sleeping your whole life away. Get up, shower, and make friends or get a job or something. You have one hour to get ready and get out of this house."

Cass groaned and rolled her eyes. Hard. Maybe if they got stuck in the back of her head she wouldn't have to make an effort. She also wouldn't need a car, so it worked out perfectly.

"Cass, honey?" her Mom prodded.

"Yeah, Mom. I'm showering now." Cass tried and failed to keep the resentment from slipping into her voice.

"Wonderful! Remember, one hour." Cass had never loved the sound of retreating footsteps more. She rolled her eyes a little harder. Nope, still not stuck. Effort it is.

She took her time in the shower, scrubbing between her toes and behind her ears, shampooing and conditioning her hair twice, and letting the water rush over her until she got bored. A shower would appease her mother and let her avoid the outside world. Perfect.

As she began to count the tiles that lined the walls of the shower, images flashed into her mind. Trees. Pouring Rain. Wolves. All punctuated with growls and eyes, red and yellow, as the wolves lunged at lightning fast streaks of white that circled the pack.

Cass shivered as the water turned cold. She hopped out of the shower and got ready quickly because she definitely didn't want any more downtime for her mind to run wild. Hopefully her day with Ren would keep the memories of last night's ominous dream out of her mind.

Cass hopped back in 'Chino on the way back out of what little civilization Port Angeles was and back to Dodge.. Forks. All day she had been trying to talk herself out of returning to the palace in the woods and the odd Cullen family, but it also intrigued her to no end. Honestly, it was the most interesting thing to happen to her in a long time.

Cass felt slightly bad at only telling her parents half of the truth about who she was going to hang out with. Sure Ren's family was as well off as she had said, but she had left off this girl, not only lived in Forks, but also had questionable taste in boyfriends. Something Cass was determined to cure her of. Cass cringed at the sign indicating the path to La Push but continued onto Forks reaching the great house by ten. Esme was the first person she saw, sitting on the front steps in a wrap watching the rain.

As Cass got out of the car Esme called out, "Hello dear! How was your drive?"

Cass responded favourably and then quickly turned down every subsequent prompt for food. As Cass reached the door with Esme, Ren flung open the front door and threw her arms around Cass. She really needs to stop doing that if she wants me to stay around. She vaguely noticed the two motorcycles in driveway she pulled in next to but thought nothing of it.

The minute Cass was led into the sitting room by Ren she could feel the energy in the room was different. Slightly more tense, but also strangely more relaxed. Like most people were overjoyed with the present company but one person was less than pleased. She saw the source of the uncomfortable party first: Edward. He was leaning against a grand piano trying hard not to look annoyed at the couch directly across from him where loud laughter was emanating from.

When her eyes caught who was sprawled over the couch her heart plummeted to her knees. Jake. She was hit with a realization, one of the bikes on the front drive must have belonged to him. Out of the corner of her eye she saw another large, most likely attractive, man, but she only was focused on the creep in front of her. How is everyone okay with this... this... pedophile dating someone as adorable as Ren?! And he drives a motorcycle?! I bet she rides it with him, which is beyond reckless.

Edward snorted out a laugh and shifted his eyes sideways at her with a look of... approval maybe, in his eyes. "Welcome back, Cass," he said in his musical voice, his eyes shining with appreciation.

"Hello, Cass," a deep voice resonated from the couch. Cass barely held back her glare as she looked at Jacob Black.

She raised one eyebrow in response. She was not going to pretend to like this situation. Cass had decided at a young age, if you pretended to like things and people, you never could escape them. But if you let your opinion be known annoying people tended to steer clear of you.

"I think we got off on the wrong foot last night," he continued unfazed, "I'm Jake, an old family friend of the Cullens."

Cass couldn't see it, but Edward rolled his eyes so harshly they threatened to pop out of his head. Instead she was focused on giving Jake the correct response to his attempt to placate her. All she did to acknowledge that she even heard him was to show him her well trained, high society smile. The one that said, "I'm supposed to be nice to you, but we both know I am calling you on your bull shit silently." Cass had mastered this look through her debutant years, following her mother around to parties for people they didn't like, but felt obligated to pretend to care about. Cute, but I'm still not buying your brain washing platitudes.

Edward burst out laughing and everyone looked back and forth from him to Cass and back again several times.

Ren walked over to Edward and put her hand on his bare arm warning him with her eyes. "I invited Jake over here so you two could get to know each other better. I really want you to get along," she begged. As someone who had gotten her way her whole life by flashing big puppy dog eyes, she knew what Ren was doing. Ren was used to getting her way, she could tell. Well too bad for her, so was Cass. And she wasn't about to change that now.

"I don't want to intrude in quality time with your family and boyfriend so I will just..."

"Cass, can I talk to you for a moment?" Edward called softly from behind her. Not knowing how to politely say no, Cass nodded and followed him into the blinding kitchen.

"I'm sure you can tell, I am not Jake's biggest fan so believe me when I say what I'm about to: he's not a bad guy. I will deny this if you ever repeat it. I know it seems like a poor match and at first glance is unnerving, but we trust Renesmee and even Jake. Give him a chance."

Cass still wasn't appeased but she relented anyway. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. She thought turning into Sun Tzu. Edward smiled softly and called to her as she walked back into the sitting room, "It's good to know Renesmee has friends like you."

As Cass walked back in, she noticed she had missed a game of musical chairs. Everyone was in a new location in the room and Alice gestured for her to take a seat on the loveseat. Right next to who she assumed was Jake's friend.

Sitting as close to the armrest of the couch as humanly possible, she did what she did best, observe. One thing growing up with very fake people taught her, was that people always showed you what they really meant. You just had to look hard enough. For instance, while Ren was laughing and joking with those around her, her quick eye twitches to Cass let her know, she was trying to figure out what she thought about the whole situation. Alice was content to add her own comments every now and again, but seemed to know what the others did not, some thing in her smile betrayed how much she actually knew. Jasper was uncomfortable but was trying hard not to be. Anyone could see this, but what would have been harder to decipher was that he was doing it for Alice.

Cass continued surveying each person in the room, careful to keep a mask of polite indifference on her face. She was gauging every person in the room, but the one that kept drawing her attention was the person to her left. Jake's friend she still didn't know the name of. He sat playing on his phone making happy comments when he had something clever to say.

No-name, though she hadn't looked at him straight on yet, was gorgeous. Similar coloring to Jake, he had the dark hair and tan skin. Most importantly were the well defined muscles. She felt his elbow bump hers and his presence loom closer, "You're awfully quiet."

She smirked at this, knowing everyone in her life up to this point would have scoffed at this assessment, "Not usually."

"Is this a special occasion?"

"Yes, it's called I don't really know any of these people quiet."

'Well, I'm Embry, official best friend of Jacob Black, expert cliff diver, master sandwich maker, and car technician extraordinaire, and I will be your host for this evening."

Cass exhaled sharply in silent laughter, but caught herself quickly. This is one of grandpa Jake's friends. He is also older and probably from the same creepy, insect ridden town where they teach boys how to pedophile when they grow up. She knew it wasn't fair to put people in a box, but she also knew some boxes were unavoidable. She was definitely of the opinion people were products of their surroundings.

"Cass, but I'm assuming you heard that earlier," she murmured back, her voice low and not drawing attention.

"That's about all I know. I'm going to be honest, when Ren was giving us your biography to prep us before you came, I zoned out."

"She did what?" Cass hissed.

Embry leaned away, "My bad."

Ren might be fun to talk to, and her life was as exciting as a sitcom, but Cass was starting to wonder if this odd friendship was worth the hassle. Cass wanted to walk away from the drama and just hide in her room with Netflix until she could move back to her real friends in the fall, but there was a problem. Everyone was in on something, some kind of secret, except for her.

Cass wasn't the normal, loves surprises, type of girl. If her boyfriend ever spontaneously showed up with flowers, she automatically assumed something was wrong. He cheated or forgot an important date. Then she worried she had forgotten something. In her mind, everyone was guilty until proven innocent. Being out of the loop made her feel like her life was spiraling out of her control. Cass loved control. Her parents hated her at Christmas. She would snoop until every single present was located, even hacking her mom's email account to discover online purchases.

The knowing look in everyone's eyes when they made intentionally ambiguous sentences made her head spin. It was enough to drive her batty. She decided a simpleton from a town like La Push would be the best, unsuspecting victim for her interrogation.

"So the Cullens really adopted all of these kids? Of the same age. That seems like a lot of responsibility."

"Yeah, but they all act older than they look. Have for a while now," his voice sounded funny.

Ugh, I try and get answers but all I get is more questions. She tried a different approach, "How long have you known Ren?"

"Her whole life."

"I never did catch how old she was, I just kind of assumed an age." This statement she hoped would do two thing: tell her Ren's age and find out how long he had known the Cullens to assess how much he could tell her about them.

"She acts like she's old enough to be my mom most of the time, telling me to clean my room and talk to girls."

Cass was not amused. She chose not to respond, picking up her phone to clearly indicate the end of the conversation.

Embry's strong suit was not following social cues.

"How have you liked Port Angeles?"

Cass took a deep breath willing herself not to commit a brutal murder in front of so many witnesses. All her years of society training forced her to respond and also say something polite, but she didn't have many polite things to say about his home state so far. She went with, "There are certainly a lot more trees than there were back home."

"Ouch, just trees huh? That's just a fact, not really your opinion."

"Why does my opinion matter?"

"Well, I guess you will be here for a while..."

"96 days actually," she interrupted.

"Already counting down. And you've been here a few weeks?"

"I'm more of a city girl."

"Because Port Angeles is a country village," he scoffed.

"It's still too small for me. I like my population in the millions."

"Sounds crowded, but to each their own."

They sat blissful silence for a few minutes, each lost in their own thoughts. Cass was reminiscing about home while Embry's thoughts were focused closer. He was trying to decide what he thought about the girl next to him. She had all of the qualities he liked in a girl, she was clearly smart, bold and it didn't hurt that she was beautiful. There was just something about her that irritated him. Superiority complex. He finally pegged. She thinks she's better than us because she grew up avoiding parts of a city where the gangs rule. Let's see if she will come out and admit she doesn't want anything to do with the lower class riff-raff.

"So, I guess while you're in this hamlet, you might as well try not to hate your life. How about you come to the bonfire on the beach tonight in La Push."

He saw the weary look on her face, "Thanks, but I wouldn't know anyone. I don't want to intrude."

"It wouldn't be an intrusion, Nessie will be there and she'll want you to come, right Ness?"

The pixie bounced at the idea, "Yes! Please, the bonfires are always a great time."

Cass shifted feeling the weight of the eyes of everyone in the room on her. She really didn't want to go back there.

"I just should spend time with my younger brother, the move has been very difficult for him," she tried. After she thought about it, in her attempt to avoid the town of doom, she had actually revealed something she did need to do. Her brother contacting their grandfather was worrying her. Cass's whole life she had heard nothing but bad things about him from her father. Grandpa Rhett didn't approve of her dad's choice to become a land developer. And a successful one at that. Her dad said once he'd broken away from his storytelling/believing father and moved away to college, he never looked back. The family had disowned him at that point because no one left that community. It wasn't allowed. And then to get a career that was opposite to their views about "keeping things natural"... well he wasn't invited to Fourth of July barbeques.

Embry saw right through her excuses and wasn't going to buy them, "You just need to be surrounded by lots of people to feel safe. You're afraid of our small town life, aren't you."

Embry saw Cass bristle at the accusation, "No, that's not it at all. I just..."

"Prove it," he demanded.

Cass was afraid of La Push, but she was filled with more pride than fear. The challenge he issued, she knew was manipulation, but she couldn't let it go unchecked.

"Fine. I'll come."

Embry smiled at her in triumph while Ren squealed. Point Embry she thought but enjoy your one point because it's the only one you're going to get.


	4. Chapter 3 - Bonfire

**The rights necessary to SM.**

Ren had insisted Cass go back to Port Angeles to get ready for the bonfire. Cass was amazed at how many miles she had put on her lovely car in the last few days, but knew after the summer it would rarely see the light of day again. She couldn't take it with her and her parents would never drive it. They didn't appreciate it enough.

Cass threw on a pale blue matching set. So much less effort than choosing individual tops and bottoms, but the scalloped fabric made the outfit carefree and chic rather than lazy or outdated. Obviously if she were to endure another get together with Ren's mangey friends without shanking someone she would need her man with her to get her through the evening. Christian. Christian Louboutin, the only man she would ever depend upon. The only man she could ever commit to.

Her heels were shiny, gold, and sharper than an exacto knife (see also: nearly as sharp as her wit). She carefully thumbed through her collection of necklaces before remembering that there was no one she needed to impress and grabbing the last one she'd touched off its hook. It was her crystal moon pendant that she'd gotten from an old friend on her 14th birthday and worn once. _Why not?_ She slipped on a three finger ring for good measure before giving herself a once over in the mirror. Two coats of her favorite velvety, deep wine lipstick later, she was out the door and driving to La Push.

When she crossed the city limits pain shot up her spine. This happened the last time she was at this point of the highway. _It's my body revolting to the quaint life of the locals._

As she pulled up to the beach, she couldn't help but agree with every California fanatic ever; nothing compared to the golden beaches found there, especially not the cold, rocky beach of La Push, Washington. She was about to continue trash-talking the cesspool she was currently visiting, but briefly recalled why she was here. Embry's challenge. He implied she was judgmental. Uppity. A snob. Maybe she was, but she was also a winner, and she wasn't about to let him have the last word.

She saw the bonfire and its column of smoke in the distance and knew she should head in that direction before they sent out a search party. She groaned as she tossed her head back to stare at the ceiling, as if to wordlessly cry " _why me?"_ before exiting her car and slamming the door. _Sorry, 'Chino. Please live, babe._

It hadn't been very long that she'd been traipsing through the dusty sand in her beloved heels that she realized that particular footwear hadn't been the smartest of choices. _Too late._ There was no way she would go barefoot on this "beach" because **1)** she wouldn't give Ren's friends the satisfaction of watching her carry her shoes in her hand. Their egos clearly didn't need inflating if they felt superior enough to insult and question her character and **2)** if she did she would almost certainly get some sort of disease. Normally she was reasonable enough to believe in the fundamentals and laws of general science. Normally she knew she couldn't contract something through the soles of her feet unless they had a cut, open sore, or were punctured. But normally she didn't live a million miles away from normal people and normal places and her normal life.

As she approached the fire, Ren spotted her and ran over. "You came! I'm so glad!"

"Here I am," Cass grimaced. Something about this place made it really hard for her to act like she wasn't completely disgusted.

Ren suddenly gave her a squeeze as she squealed out of joy.

"Okay, so over there we have a table of food. Take as much as you want. Do it now. Once the guys get to it you'll have missed your chance."

Cass looked around after hearing Ren's warning. Several massive guys hovered around the fire, eyeing up the food, looking as if they were about to pounce. And, _seriously?_ Embry was clearly judging her shoes. He was standing there was a stupid smirk on his stupid face and Cass noted that he had stupidly raised his eyebrows at her arrival as if to say, "I was right. Here you are, so I got my way, but here you are _in heels_. _On a beach._ You've proven my point all by yourself." Cass glared and immediately glanced away.

Ren continued, having noticed where Cass's gaze fell.

"They're all members of the pa-tribe," she stammered. "That's why they look pretty similar."

"You mean that's why they're all giants?" Cass said with a bit of bite. Ren let out her tinkling laugh and nodded.

"Nah, she means that's why we're all ridiculously hot," an unfamiliar man said from behind Ren. The guys, a little scattered around the beach at this point, all whooped and even _howled_ at the cheeky comment from their friend. _Seriously? How'd they all hear that?_ Cass realized as she scanned the group that, really, he wasn't wrong. A few stood out to her. Jake. A man holding hands with his petite and infatuated girlfriend. A man throwing a football. And Embry. Smug, big-headed Embry. Embry with his perfectly mussed hair and slight scruff. Embry who looked a little bit like a Greek god in that old t-shirt. Embry whose muscles bulged slightly under said t-shirt, making Cass's mouth go dry, as he stretched to catch the aforementioned football.

Cass heard Ren clear her throat and she realized she'd been staring. _Dear Lord, please don't let me be drooling._

The man was still standing next to Ren. "Heh, uh, should we come back later?" he joked. Cue the flushing of Cass's cheeks and chuckles all around the beach.

A hand was now extended to her and he wore what Cass was sure was his trademark, heart-breaking smile. _Not this time._

"I'm Paul." _I don't care._

"Cass." _God, can I be done with introductions yet?_ "Nice to meet you," she said before excusing herself to grab food.

Large piles of hot dogs, burgers, and ribs dominated the table while the surrounding gaps were filled in by several bags of chips, veggie platters, and bowls of strawberries. A large blue cooler sat at the far end of the table, filled with cans of coke and bottles of beer. Cass felt strange about taking food from her hosts when she came begrudgingly and had no plans to stay for any extended amount of time, but free food was something she could hardly ever pass up.

After loading up a plate, and contemplating whether or not to grab a beer from the cooler instead of a coke to take the edge off the suckfest she was currently participating in, she timidly meandered toward the logs (AKA questionable seating) that encircled the fire, mentally kicking herself the whole time. She was not the type to meander or do anything timidly. She did everything with intent, purpose, and drive. Her identity was already shifting and she'd been hanging out with Ren for just a couple days. She could hardly imagine who she'd become if she stuck with these people for the long-haul.

Eyes glued to the ground, she squatted onto the first empty seat she saw and it wasn't long before she felt a presence beside her. Hoping, praying, and offering her firstborn that it wouldn't be Embry, she turned her head ever so slightly and looked at the man just to her left. He immediately grinned at her. She wanted to be confused as to why there was a young girl sat on his lap as she most certainly was not his daughter, but her mind was consumed with gratitude and relief. _Thank God, it's not Embry. Hallelujah. Jesus, you've been good to me. Maybe I'll go to church next Easter. Probably not. Thanks anyway!_

This man looked slightly more boyish than his clones, and held a playfulness and innocence very few people his age had. The girl he was playing some sort of pat-a-cake game with couldn't have been more than 8, and had two thick french braids on either side of her head, the plaited black hair resting against her back and skimming the bottom of her shoulder blades. The two seemed to be in their own little world as they played together, smiling at each other with the same look Cass's mom had when she ogled the hope diamond. The two finally turned to their company.

"You're pretty!" the girl nearly screamed as she took in Cass's fair skin and gold hair that tumbled down her neck and shoulders. She knew her features were out of the ordinary here, but having them pointed out at an event Cass didn't want to be at, where she was already feeling vulnerable and everyone somehow had the hearing of drug-sniffing hounds, made her feel like an alien, regardless of the fact the girl was trying to pay a sincere compliment. Cass chastised herself after remembering what it was like to be that young and seeing the wonder on the young girl's face.

"No, you're pretty!" she told the young girl before her bitch-self had time to reemerge and rear her ugly head at the child. "What's your name?"

The girl lit up and giggled at the compliment from the woman she already greatly admired, turning to her friend who beeped her nose with his finger before she shrieked excitedly once more and tucked her face into the man's chest, clearly too shy to continue the conversation. The man shook is head in amusement before turning to Cass.

"This cutie pie is Claire and my name is Quil. You must be Cass." Cass nodded as he said this. "Glad to finally meet you. Now when Ness talks my ear off I'll actually know who she's talking about."

"Oh, God, this is the millionth time today I've heard some derivative of that sentiment. Please tell me she's just told you the basics?"

"Hah, we know everything she knows. Even if she doesn't tell us directly, she'll tell Jake and it will get around."

"Really?" Cass wondered aloud. "Jake doesn't really seem like the gossiping type."

"Oh, he's not...he just…" Quil was clearly lost for words. The polite thing to have done would've been changing the subject. Filling in blanks for him in an unassuming way. Letting him off the hook somehow. That's how she'd been raised. She was to be ladylike in everything she did. Too bad tonight she wasn't feeling particularly ladylike. She stared him down.

"Cassie, let's play tag! You're it!" Claire practically punched Cass in the shoulder as she tagged her before running off. Cass wanted to press Quil for the information no one else would give her, so far it seemed he'd be the easiest of the group to break down, but she was a sucker for kids, as long as they were well-behaved and not her own. Not that she planned on _that_ ever being a problem. Getting married and having kids were the last thing on her mind, and something she kind of hoped wouldn't happen.

She continued her daunting gaze into Quil's eyes before standing and running after Claire. _Saved by the bell, Quil. But we're not done here._ Something strange was going on and Cass, absolutely detesting being out of the loop, was determined to find out what.

It didn't take long before the game of tag between Claire, Quil (who Cass decided she actually didn't hate the way she did his friends), and Cass was cut short by Claire running up to a couple and hugging them tight. A man, just as large and imposing as all the other men on the beach, held hands with a stunningly beautiful woman with a large scar on her face. Cass didn't mean to stare, but it's hard not to when half of someone's face is disfigured. She contemplated whether it was better to obviously look anywhere but that side of the woman's face or to look wherever she damn well pleased, but her deliberations were cut short by Claire grabbing her hand and dragging her to the happy couple.

"Auntie Emily, this is my new friend Cassie!" Emily smiled at her niece's excitement, the corner of her mouth on the marred side of her face just barely lifting upward.

"It's nice to meet you, Cass." _Seriously? Claire called me 'Cassie,' yet Emily already knew my preferred name? Who hasn't Ren told about me?_ "I'm Emily, Claire's aunt and unofficial mother of all the guys." _What does that mean?_

"What does that mean?" Cass said bemusedly.

Emily looked like she was trying not to laugh at a joke Cass didn't know, while the man beside her outright snickered.

"Mostly it means they hang around my home more than their own houses and I'm the designated chef. Those boys sure do eat."

Cass rolled her eyes goodnaturedly. "I inferred from the boatloads of food on the table. Did you make all of it yourself?"  
"A good portion of it, but I had some help from the guys, though they eat as they cook, so I'm not sure the extra hands are worth it." Emily shook her head. "And then some of it was brought by Billy Black, Jacob's dad, and Sue Clearwater, Leah and Seth's mom."

"Leah and Seth? How many people are at this thing?"

The man, who Cass assumed was Emily's husband, finally joined the conversation.

"You know Jake, Quil, and Embry, right?" Cass nodded, urging the man to continue. "They're kind of the three musketeers. Then there's Paul, resident Narcissus, Jared, who's over there with his girlfriend Kim," Sam pointed as he went along, and Cass recognized them from her brief survey earlier. "That's Seth throwing the football with Embry. Over there is Leah, she's Seth's sister. Don't take anything she says or does too personally," he said, referring to a scowling girl who could've been a model, "And next to her is their mom, Sue."

"She's an absolute saint," Emily added.

Sam continued. "Collin and Brady over there are the newest members of our...family." Cass followed his gaze to two younger boys that were still shoveling in piles of food, looking a bit like dogs as the picked the last of the meat off the ribs.

"And I'm Sam, Emily's husband, and boss to a few of these guys."

"What is it you do?"

"I own a garage a little ways away," he answered proudly.

"Ah, you're Sam of 'Sam's,'" Cass connected the dots aloud.

"That's right."

The conversation ended abruptly when Sam took off toward Collin and Brady, shouting at them to knock it off. The two were beating each other over something. With Quil and Emily occupied with Claire and Sam focused on the two boys, Cass figured it was the perfect time to slip away and head home. She took a few steps backward as lightly as possible, as though it made her invisible, before turning around fully to take off in a run as inconspicuous as she could make it. She hadn't gotten far when a freezing cold hand shot out and grabbed her arm from behind her, stopping her in her tracks.

"Where do you think you're going?" Ren asked her, an icy glare reprimanding Cass. Embry wasn't wrong, Ren did sort of act like someone's mom.

"I just...um...home?"

"But we haven't even gotten to the best part yet! There's brownies and we roast marshmallows and starbursts over the fire, and then Billy tells ghost stories!"

"...ghost stories?" _What are we, 12-year-old campers? Well, this camper certainly isn't a happy one._

"Well, actually, they're Quileute legends from way back when, but some of them are a little freaky." Ren said this with a glint in her eye, like the freaky stuff was her favorite part. _Not surprised she likes that, being the weird little shit she is. Love the girl, but her life is...cooky._

"Please stay?" Cass's expression didn't budge and Ren knew she'd have to convince her. "Stay a little longer and next time we hang out it will be just us. Girls night. Cheesy rom-coms, stuffing ourselves with far too much pizza with even more cheese than the movies, girl talk…" Ren raised an eyebrow as she made her proposal, hoping Cass would agree. Lucky for her (and unfortunately for Cass), Cass was a sucker for chick flicks. The sappy love stories, the petty high school girls, any kind of chick flick really. Most important was the men. Always. She firmly believed it was important to have a healthy dose of Josh Duhamel every so often.

Cass every so slightly tilted her head from side to side a few times as she tried to brainstorm a way to resist Ren's wasn't one. _Damn, my love for crappy movies._

"Fine!" she gave in, dropping the defensive expression from her face and letting her gleeful anticipation take over instead. Ren bounced up and down out of sheer joy and began talking faster than Cass had ever heard anyone do, making plans for their date, but trailed off as she noticed Cass shiver.

"Cass. Babe. What was the one instruction I gave you for tonight?"

"Have fun?" Cass guessed as she screwed up her face in embarrassment, immediately realizing her blunder. She knew exactly what Ren had told her and Ren knew that.

Ren pursed her lips and rolled her eyes a bit.

"Bring. A jacket."

Cass thought about bringing one, but decided against it since she didn't plan on staying long. On top of that, she didn't realize how much the temperature would fall after the sun went down. During summers back home, it was stifling hot day and night, and she forgot to plan in accordance with her new climate.

"Next time you'd better be prepared," Ren tutted before getting called away by Jacob. Cass began heading back to the bonfire when a voice stopped her. _Damn, he just has to insert himself into my life._

"Here." Embry reached out to her as he walked next to her, holding an old letterman's jacket. _Is he stalking me now?_

Cass had no qualms about voicing that particular question, so she did.

"No, I'm not stalking you. I just noticed you didn't bring one and grabbed mine out of my car."

"I'm fine."

"You don't look fine." It was true, Cass was getting pretty chilly, but refused to give him the satisfaction. She would not accept favors from him. She would not owe him anything. If it were up to her, she wouldn't ever have met him.

"Appearances can be deceiving."

"No kidding," Embry muttered to himself, getting more annoyed by the second.

"Excuse me?"

"Just take the jacket," he said with a hint of frustration.

"I'd rather not."

He stopped walking and turned toward her, and for some reason (a stroke maybe?) she stopped as well.

"Look, I don't know what I've done to offend you, but I'm really sorry." He made several desperate attempts to meet Cass's eyes, but she was not about to let that happen.

"You could just say thank you, you know."

"You're right. Thank you, but no thank you." Cass promptly turned and walked the remaining distance to the fire where she picked up a roasting stick and used it to skewer two marshmallows. _And the award for pettiest boss ass bitch goes to…_

Embry fisted handfuls of his hair as he threw his head back and groaned in frustration. Cass was sat between Ren and Quil while roasting various sugary foods, and they were all chatting away quite happily. Cass even exchanged a few words with Jake without looking completely disgusted. Embry combed through his memories of the day, trying to think of anything he could've done to piss Cass off that much. He was drawing blanks.

Screw it. He was going to give her his jacket anyway. And then he'd continue to be a perfectly charming, considerate gentleman until she reached the point where she finally swallowed her pride.

Cass was putting in a little effort to enjoy herself and maybe even make friends, trying to appease Ren and her mother at the same time. Convenient. One minute she and her bare shoulders were toasting, or rather, burning marshmallows (she liked them better that way) and bathed in the moonlight, the next a weighty fabric was draped around her. She turned her head behind her just in time to see Embry's retreating figure. She almost shrugged the jacket off, but decided the fuss wasn't worth it, she was pretty cold. Not to mention that Embry's jacket smelled _amazing._ Cass couldn't stop inhaling his scent. She recognized that that was pretty creepy to do, but she also didn't care. She couldn't get enough. She just hoped no one else noticed. She subtly turned her head to gauge reactions. Ren stared her down. _Guilty._ Thankfully, no one else seemed to notice.

About 15 minutes later she noticed a man that hadn't been there before. He was older and sitting by the fire in a wheelchair and Cass pitied whoever had to drag that across the beach. _Someone clearly picked the wrong location for story time._

The few stragglers on the beach gathered around the fire as the man, who had introduced himself as Billy Black, welcomed them all. _Seems a little late to thank me for coming…_ He pointed out Cass's presence to extend to her everyone's joy that she had joined them tonight. After years of being paraded around like a show pony by her parents, Cass was comfortable in the spotlight, but didn't enjoy it. _One strike for Billy._

Billy didn't delay any longer and started storytelling. Cass decided just being here was painful enough, so she didn't force herself to listen. It wasn't like Ren was going to give her a quiz at the end of the night.

Cass's thoughts all blended together, floating in and out of her mind seemlessly. She thought of the life she left behind, the expectations from her parents, Theo grappling with losing Cass in the fall, the weird letter from Grandpa Rhett, her strange new friends, and Embry. She mostly thought of Embry. Tall, chiseled, gorgeous, and a pain in her ass. Maybe he wasn't such a nuisance to the people that knew him, all Cass knew was she'd known him for 10 hours and that was 10 hours too many. He was the reason she was stuck here, and on top of that…

 _Wait, what?_ Maybe Cass was imagining things, since she wasn't exactly listening, but she could've sworn Jake's dad had just said something about blood-sucking creatures. _Vampires?_ She decided to pay a bit more attention and couldn't figure out whether to laugh or panic at the strange legends. Her breathing got shallower and picked up speed as the tales continued. Quileutes were descended from wolves or something? And way back when this meant that they were _motherfucking werewolves_ whose sole purpose was to fight and kill _vampires?_ She knew it was impossible and wanted to criticize the story in her head, but something about it struck a chord in her and it seemed every cell in her body was tuned into Billy's words.

The fable began to change to something less intense, but not a bit more normal. These _werewolves_ , in order to continue their line, had predestined mates. _Imprints._ Love at first sight, the strongest of all bonds, and every other sappy thing you could describe it as. An imprint and werewolf kept each other grounded, fulfilled each other's needs in a way no one else could, complemented each other perfectly. They would meet and fit into each other's lives like a puzzle piece until those two lives slowly melded into one.

The storytelling came to an end and everyone returned to their light hearted conversations and boisterous laughter, but Cass was still shaken and stuck inside her own head, thoughts racing. She needed to get out of there. She felt like she couldn't breathe. All she wanted was to attempt to compose herself in 'Chino and then hide out in her room for the next 80 years.

"Ren. _Ren."_ Ren was still happily chatting away with Jake. "Ren!" The girl finally whipped her head around toward the sound of Cass's voice. "Thanks for inviting me, but I need to go. Now."

Cass was clearly waiting for her friend to protest, and normally Ren would, but she could see how unnerved Cass was and knew she would prefer space rather than friendly conversation. Ren did, after all, have a sense for these kinds of things.

"Okay, go. Thanks for coming tonight. Girls night soon?"

Cass nodded toward her friend and attempted a smile before swiftly turning on her heels, her spiky, spiky heels, and heading in the direction of her car. She couldn't get out of there fast enough. She didn't know what freaked her out more - the crazy legends, or the way they short-circuited the rational portion of her brain. 'Chino was certainly a sight for sore eyes, and the music Cass blared from the stereo once inside was a miniscule but necessary comfort as she struggled not to hyperventilate. Once she was finally calm enough to drive, she started toward home, ugly-car-singing her All Time Low as loud as she could.

A stoplight. _Of course._ Cass did her best to remain calm. Since when was she so whiny? What was one stoplight? She would be fine. She'd get home and become a blanket burrito for as long as she needed to so she could forget the the happenings of the night.

 _Yes. Green_. Cass moved her foot to the gas pedal, but was startled by the quickest flash of white streaking past the front of her car. Weird, but time to give the car to a little juice and race home. And... _any day now, 'Chino._ Cass was panicking. Her beloved baby was not budging. She popped her hood and ran around to the front of the car. She was stranded at an intersection in La Push and there was no way now that she wouldn't get murdered in this God-forsaken corner of-

"Need some help?"

"God, of course you're here. That's just perfect." Cass knew it wasn't Embry's fault her night was turning out the way it was, but he made it so easy for her to blame him, or at the very

least resent his existence. The way his scent made her heart race or the sound of his voice bringing a flush to her cheeks without fail didn't make her especially fond of him, funnily enough.

"It actually is, for you at least. You seem to be a little...out of your depth." He wasn't wrong. Cass was staring down at the engine, but didn't know what anything was, let alone how things were supposed to function.

"I'll be fine. I can take care of myself."

" _Clearly."_

"You can go now. Your presence isn't required or desired."

"Really? Because it looks to me like you have no idea what the hell you're doing. Get your hand out of that, you'll lose a finger."

"Goodnight, Embry," Cass huffed. She'd just have to call Ren or… Nope, Ren was her only option. She didn't want to deal with any of the other La Push giants and she would not sink as low as to call her parents. The last thing she needed was for them to have one more thing they could hold over her head.

"You know what? Fine. Have it your way." But the second Embry walked away, Cass felt _cold._ And scared and vulnerable. And pissed as all hell, because she realized in that moment that she needed him. For her car. Nothing else. Just for 'Chino. _Obviously._

She swallowed her pride the way he had done multiple times since he'd met her and wondered if it got easier with practice, if it was ever less humiliating.

"Wait. You're right." Cass barely squeaked the words out.

Embry clearly needed to get his hearing checked. Or maybe he was hallucinating? Did she just say-

"I'm right?" He swiveled around to face her as he sought confirmation that he was officially losing his mind. She seemed to have that effect on him ever since she entered his life.

"Look, please don't make me say it. Just, you know, do your thing?"

"My thing being repairing your car when you can't even look me in the eye and hold a conversation with me without jumping at my throat?"

Cass did her best to ignore the guilt that swept through her body. As much as she hated the move and the "cities" in Washington and La Push and the pompous freak shows in it, she'd crossed the line from bitter to bitch. She'd never been sorry about that before, but something about the way Embry called her on her shit made her ashamed of her behavior.

"Um...yeah...I realize that I haven't been the most pleasant person to be around and that you don't owe me any favors, but-" Cass hoped she didn't sound like she was groveling, although she was prepared to if that's what would save her baby.

"Ask nicely."

"What? So you'll do it?" Cass was a little stunned at Embry's small request and her anticipation showed.

"If you ask nicely," Embry smirked, verging into playful territory and away from his serious and determined attitude that made Cass feel like an open book.

Cass shook her head and rolled her eyes, doing her best to look annoyed, but truthfully she found Embry's antics amusing and a little endearing, much to her chagrin.

"So what's the deal with you?" Embry asked as he began examining the engine.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean..." Embry hesitated, "I know you're upset about moving here, but why are you constantly pissed at me? Did I do something to offend you?"

Cass realized she couldn't answer truthfully, especially after her moment of humility just a moment before. An awkward beat followed Embry's inquiry.

Embry decided to move on from the topic since he clearly wasn't going to get a response, "So, your spark plug is missing."

"That's impossible, I was just driving my car. How would that even happen?!"

Embry suspected the person responsible, but couldn't share that information without explaining things that weren't his to explain, not to mention they were none of Cass's business. "I don't know, it makes no sense. I'll have to call one of the guys and have them grab one from the garage."

"No! No one else can know about this!"

"You're seriously so full of yourself that you can't allow people to see you in a rare moment of need? Shocking."

Cass rolled her eyes, but refused to dignify his insult with a response.

"Sorry that was uncalled for," Embry apologized even though it really was called for after the way Cass treated him, and she knew that.

"It's fine. And... I guess you can call Jake."

Jake didn't delay his rescue mission. He was there within five minutes, spark plug in hand, and had a low conversation with Embry when he arrived. Cass was once again confused by and concerned for these freaks. Could they even hear each other speaking? Just as quickly as Jake had arrived, he left.

Embry wasted no time installing the missing piece to Cass's best friend. Cass couldn't help but admire his toned arms as he bent over the engine. Wjat? She could barely stand the guy, but she wasn't dead. She could look, but would never touch him with a ten foot pole. Although she was itching to run her fingers through his slightly mussed hair and she imagined being pressed against him would be lovely, especially since the way he smelled somehow intoxicated her. His delicious arms wrapped around her would probably be so blissful she wouldn't be able to stand on her own two feet and kissing his plump lips (that she decided would be as velvety and sinfully perfect as a smooth and rich chocolate mousse) would, paradoxically, be complete rapture and bring about world peace. And then, picturing taking it farther than that made CAss feel like a heat wave had suddenly hit. His warm lips on her neck, marking her as his, claiming his territory like a dog, her purring like a cat. Roaming hands with fingers lightly caressing before becoming more desperate, grasping like they were taking a piece of each other to stick inside their souls as a permanent reminder of their metaphorical dose of ecstasy. Then that not being enough, and him taking his shirt off, revealing more smooth, tan skin, and-

The sound of Embry clearing his throat brought Cass out of her completely inappropriate daydream and she immediately reprimanded her brain for its rebellion. She would not tolerate such dysfunction.

"Sorry, what?" She couldn't bring herself to meet his eyes, not after the naughty thought she'd just had.

"I was just saying how much I love your car... What was on your mind? You were in a trance or something."

"I was just thinking how grateful I am that you were here to fix my car." She internally cursed herself for sounding so obviously guilty. That was the first time in her life that she'd told an unconvincing lie. She could tell he didn't believe her as he took in her slight breathlessness and the deep pink tinge of her cheeks betraying her.

"Um, so how much?"

"Uhh, nothing. It's fine."

"Are you sure? I've been a complete bitch to you, but you're doing me a massive favor without being reimbursed?"

"Yeah, consider it a sign of my complete forgiveness. A peace offering."

Cass couldn't believe her ears, and admired her car as she contemplated Embry's generosity.

"I really can't accept that."

"Fine, how about you just owe me one. Does that settle your conscience?"

Cass actually cracked a smile at this.

"That works for me. Thank you again."

Before he could say anything else she hopped in her car and took off.


End file.
